


/execute_subroutine:relationship

by DraxAneko



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22085977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraxAneko/pseuds/DraxAneko
Summary: Aretes has a life outside of life.  And love does not fit into it.





	/execute_subroutine:relationship

Bright vibrant city life. A world full of drugs, violence, sex, and money. Every city is like this, Los Caídos is no different. But it does have one thing that most cities do not. A super hero. With a vast array of powers underneath her wing, she was able to keep the city from falling into further chaos. She is loved by a majority of the city and looked up to as a role model. Some see past her heroic escapades, seeing her as a menace due to the destruction her actions bring. But without her, there would be no Los Caídos. No place to live, no place to survive.

Walking through the varying streets can seem a bit scary, for someone who has never lived in the city before. Easy to get lost without a map or guide. The streets are full of vehicles, some standard, and some a bit more luxurious. The closer to the heart of the city, the more taxis and the more imported vehicles, too. There are those who don't care about driving, who would rather take the subway system, or walk along the streets.

A young woman walks through the crowd. They're all stopped as they look up, across the street. A local bar has its windows broken and boarded up from the inside. Police sirens are lit up as they sit outside, barricades barring the public from entering the scene. She doesn't care about what has happened. She's staring down at her phone as she walks, sliding past the people with ease. Her phone buzzes in her hands, and her face lights up with a smile. On the screen are three words, words that could make anyone smile.

_I love you_

With one free hand, she pushes open the doors to an apartment complex, stuffing her phone into her pocket. She goes to the mailboxes and uses a key to open up her own. Inside is a single letter, addressed to the neighbor. Happens frequently enough that the girl thinks that the mailman is dyslexic. They might be. It's of no worry to her. She slides the letter into the neighbor's mail slot, and closes her own.

She heads up the stairs to the third floor, and right to her apartment. Right next to the stairs, for quick access. Sometimes, she regrets not choosing the second floor for the days she gets exhausted, but the view of the city streets is more than enough to get her by. Unlocking the door with a key, she enters her abode and drops her bag off on the couch, closing the door behind her. She herself heads to the bathroom, turning on the sink and begins to wash up.

White hair, red eyes, pale skin... There isn't a thing she'd change about herself. Pulling out her phone, she brings it up to the mirror and with a click of a button, takes a picture of herself with a smile. Bringing it back down, she continues her chat from earlier.

_On my way, was just freshening up!_

Message sent, along with her picture. She feels ready to take on the world.

* * *

A smaller, but comfy, cafe. The couple sit next to a window, staring out into the streets. The white haired girl has her hand on top of the other girl's hand, her other hand holding onto a cup of tea.

"On a day like today, I'm glad to have met you." The albino smiles as she speaks, gently squeezing her significant other's hand. "If there was but one thing I would wish for, it would be to have met with you earlier."

The other girl, who is around the same age as her lover, has a more contrasting look to her appearance. Her hair is black, and her clothing is white designer brand. "Aretes, that is so not like you to say! Come on, what climbed into that brain of yours and hijacked you?" She gives off a laugh, her other hand moving to hold onto Aretes' hand. Cold to the touch, but she knew this by now. She's embraced her before.

"Just you, love! You've helped me feel so... So confident in my body. You took interest in me, not because of my flawed form, but because of who I am! And that's what I love about you. You're caring, you're a beauty to behold, you're... You're you. You're the love of my life." Aretes sets her tea down and slides that hand down into her lap, into her jacket pocket. "Every time I see your face when we meet up like this, I just never want to leave..." She pulls out of her seat and gets down on to one knee, her hand pulling out a small, platinum ring. "Which is why I want you to have this. Will you marry me?" Her pale face is a brighter shade of pink as her cheeks have blood rushed to them, the people around the couple all having stopped conversation and started to watch the spectacle.

Shocked, confused, and full of emotion, the black haired girl is speechless. She holds the albino's hand tighter for the moment, her breathing heavy and long. It was like at this moment that time had stopped for the couple, the only two people in the room, the only two beings in the cosmos. She had known Aretes for so long, and their love for each other was just as long, but not as apparent as it had been since recently...

" _Yes._ " The answer anyone would want to hear. It filled both of the girls with warmth, a feeling of happiness, comfort. Love. "A million times yes!" The ring is slipped onto her finger. A perfect fit. Looking down at her fiance, the black haired girl will remember this moment forever. Clapping fills the room, but there's only one thing that the couple hear. The beating of their own hearts.

She pulled the girl up from the floor as she stood, pulling her into a hug. Aretes arms slipped around the other's body, her hands firmly planted on her back. "I love you, so much... I'm so glad." The albino pulls herself away for a moment, taking this moment to look over her lover's face.

It's perfect.

It's the only thing in life that she wanted.

* * *

"I hope that payment isn't late, again. This would be the third time this month, and knowing you have a... Habit of delayed payments, I'd hate to see what becomes of this." The albino girl turns around, pulling out her phone as she reads a message sent to her.

_Grabbing something to eat, you want anything?_

"...I'd hate to see what becomes of you, too. So, I'll ask this once. Do you have the money?"

The man in a suit stands with his arms crossed, staring at the younger girl. "Where is my usual contact? He's the only one I'll talk to about this."

"Your 'usual' contact is far too kind. You're late on two payments as is, and a man such as yourself... You're making good use of our product, I can tell. You haven't had stolen equipment in a few months, and your profits have risen. Is it this reason that you don't want to pay?" She turns back around, playing around on her phone as she clicks her tongue.

_Just a drink would be fine, I've already eaten today._

The man recoils as he sees this. "Tch... So unprofessional. You are not the mind behind these machines, I can tell. You're just a lackey, trying to get more money out of us! I won't let that happen. I'm calling the boss to see what he wants to do with you." He pulls out a phone from his pocket, the screen lighting up as it turns on. It takes but a moment as he scrolls through his contacts, tapping a number that has no name associated with it.

Aretes sighs, sliding her phone into her jacket pocket. She takes a step forward, shaking her head. "Please, if you're not going to cooperate, I'm afraid I'll have to bring the product back. And I'd hate to see your company fall because you can't keep security." She extends her left arm out, mechanical whirring as it transitions from a hand to a high-tech device with a touch screen interface. "So I'll have to ask one more time, where is the money?"

The phone rings in his hand for a moment... Two moments...

No answer.

"You're in a dead zone. So please, keep your attention to me. Don't let your mind wander."

Visibly sweating, the man turns off his phone and shakes his head. He stuffs his phone inside his suit, exchanging the phone for a handgun. He aims it at the girl, his hand shaking. "D-Don't make me use this!"

"You've never used a gun before, have you? Keep your heartbeat low, take a deep breath..." Her eyes keep watch of his face. In the moment that she sees his eyes close for longer than a second, she smirks, mechanical whirring filling the air as she lunges forward.

The man's eyes open up, his grip on the handgun loose as his hand shakes even more. He coughs, blood splattering onto the ground and onto the girl's shoes. Her mechanical arm stops rotating, and blood begins to flow down her arm, into her loose wiring. She pulls her arm back, revealing the device that had pierced through the man. It had caught his heart, and pulled it out. It pumped out blood twice more, before growing limp. Whirring again, the heart drops to the ground, and not a moment later, the man's body does too. He dropped the handgun and it hit the ground, the new, straight from the factory weapon, letting loose. The sound echoed through the alleyway, out into the streets. Crows on the nearby light posts scattered into the air, their calls the only thing to be heard for the block. Her arm spins and returns to its normal appearance, covered in such a little amount of blood due to the fresh blood being thrown off due to the speed of the mechanics within. She turns around, shaking her hands as she gets rid of the rest of the crimson liquid.

Standing in the entrance of the alleyway stood a girl, not too far off the age from the albino girl. Black hair, wearing a light, white designer jacket... She was carrying a carry-out bag, from one of the more expensive restaurants from nearby. It was like time froze for the two. The love of her life, right in front of her. Her fiance. Her lifelong friend. How much had she witnessed? How much had she heard?

Just how much would she tell? It's something that she couldn't think on for long. Instinct took over, and her eyes went blank. Her arm begun its transformation, the fingers turning into claws, the rest of the arm elongating.

There was no time to scream. She couldn't let someone as innocent as her suffer.

As she stood with her back turned, Aretes shook her head. "...You didn't have to do this." The bag of food dropped to the ground, and with it, the head of her now ex-lover. Her face is left with a horrible reminder that some things should not be investigated. Some things should be left to the local authorities. Her body falls, blood pooling on the ground. The sound of sirens fill the air. The albino jumps up onto the side of the building, using her claws to climb up to the roof. She has time to make a getaway. The interface that appeared earlier during negotiations shows up again, once again on the left arm. She taps a few buttons, and a confirmation is heard in her ear.

_Corvus Unit 3.0, Code Name 'Raven' has been dispatched. Please stand by for exfiltration._

From a nearby skyscraper, glass shattered. At a speed that was nigh impossible to see with the naked human eye from these distances, it covered the short distance in but a few seconds. It extended its bird-like claws as it swooped down to the roof, picking up the albino girl with a delicate touch.

"Take me home." 

* * *

_Last night, the company responsible for developing new weaponry to fight our future wars, 'Gladiator', had experimental tech stolen from its thirty-second floor. As of right now, they are unwilling to disclose what exactly was stolen, other than it was very important for their work. They are looking into who would have stolen it, and what this means for the future of the company. Competitors are thought to be a main suspect in this case, but as it stands, they have not yet released a statement. We will have more coverage of this over the next few days, so please stay tuned._

_In other news, police have found the bodies of two civilians, one woman and one man. The man's heart was torn out of his chest, and the woman's head was cut clean off. The man was William McTou, a security supervisor at the weapon manufacturer 'Gladiator'. 'Gladiator' has not yet confirmed that the two recent incidents are related. The woman was Agnes Bisset, a fashion model known for wearing all white. She was just recently proposed to by her girlfriend, Aretes Martin, just last month. Here is what she had to say.  
_

"It's so heart wrenching to hear that the love of your life is dead... It's even worse that we knew each other for all our lives, and we shared everything..." The camera is trained to the albino's face, dried tears on her face as she wipes away a falling teardrop with a tissue. "I hope that they catch whoever did this and they get the justice they deserve."

_Police have no idea if the two killings are related, and their investigation is still underway. We here at Los Caídos News Team are here to keep you all up to date with what goes down in the city. This is Antonio Lopez, signing off._


End file.
